Sorry but there will be no cooking in this post. My varsity work has, well- taken over. Its end of semester and exams are on there way, as in next week. so i have no time to cook, the sadness is palpable. I re-watched Julie and Julia on the weekend, I know naughty me. seeing as this blog is inspired by Julie Powell I thought it was a good idea. I identify a lot with Julie, she wants and is a writer, something I want to. Sometimes I feel like Julie when she says it’s like Julia’s in the kitchen with her. I don’t think Julie is like Julia though, she would never ‘hate’ a fan of hers. Anyway I realised how big Julie’s undertaking was, too cook all those recipes in a year and carry on working. It takes quite a bit of energy and planning to cook a meal. In that regard i am not like Julie, there is no way I would be able to that, not in a year anyway. I also do not have the cooking skills necessary to even attempt half those recipes, or the money, I am a student afterall. Julie’s blog must have been quite fascinating to follow, you feel like your best friends with her.

I think one day I will attempt to cook form Mastering the Art of French Cooking, one day in the distant future. For now I will just keep going as I have. Google-ing recipes. Speaking of which I do have a recipe for you but I haven’t made it yet. If anyone does try this let me know how it goes. I’ve also been thinking that maybe I should try making some deserts, my favourite. Yum!

Honey Ginger Glazed Chicken (Vietnamese dish)
About This Recipe
“Easily doubles. Serve with rice or fried rice, and stir-fried or steamed veggies for a complete meal.”

]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/no-cooking-here/feed/0nickyv24Copyright of Sony PicturesWinter Schmoophttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/winter-schmoop/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/winter-schmoop/#respondThu, 22 May 2014 10:25:02 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=53Winter is coming. Well in my case it has pretty much arrived. I’m not a huge fan of winter but it fun to bundle up in warm blankets, eating soup. Hmmm soup. Not very difficult to make but so delicious.yes I made soup, not from any specific place just plain yummy butternut soup. I know I deviated from the plan. Sigh! But what can you do. It was actually unplanned, this soup making business. My mom just asked me to do it and I even had help, form my 9 year old sister.

I cheated a bit too, all the vegetables were precut in a soup mix. I feel like a cheat.

It’s really simple to make. All you need are some vegetables (butternut, potato, leeks, etc) and you can chop them all up yourself. Heat up some oil in a pot. Throw all your vegetables in. Let it cook for about an hour, adding some water occasionally. Once all your veggies are cooked nice and soft, blend it with one of this handheld blenders to make it smooth. I guess you could leave it without blending it if you want, I’ve never tried that.

So that was my soup. Simple and basic. Except for the blending part- I had boiling soup popping and splashing onto my arms. Not fun.ohh I forgot don’t forget to add some spice. Salt, cinnamon and nutmeg work great.

My older sister and my mom made delicious butternut soup. They added cream and a lot more spice. Adding orange is a good idea too.

My song:
Sillohuettes – Of Monsters and Men

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]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/winter-schmoop/feed/0nickyv24St Paddy’s Day Irish Stewhttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/st-paddys-day-irish-stew/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/st-paddys-day-irish-stew/#respondTue, 20 May 2014 20:20:22 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=27So I have realized that some of my posts have not been publishing, I apologize profusely. I’ve been using WordPress on my iPad and it’s been saving as drafts and not posting. I feel like such a noodle. Here I thought I was so tech savvy, being a technological native and all. So give me a chance to sort out the mess I find myself in.

Anyway back to the food. Yay!

It was around St. Patricks day, which I don’t actually celebrate but felt inspired by, that I decided to make airship Beef and Stout Stew, Delicious! It was heavenly, truly amazing and not too difficult to do either. My family loved it and so did I, of course.

I found the recipe on allrecipes.com but I have to mention Donal Skehan, who Irish cooking website was truly inspiring check it out here

I followed the steps:
1.Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.

2.Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

3.Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Just a side note I added tons of slice, that little pinch was useless against the might if al that meat.

The smell was divine and made my stomach gurgle delightfully.

It is meant to be served with mashed potato but I mad mashed sweet potato instead. All you do is peel and chop up some sweet potatoes and cook the,. I put mine in boiling water and microwave for about 15 minutes. Mash it all up and add nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and butter. Add enough to taste. I also added some milk but I put way too much in, so feel free to add some but take it easy.

So yip that was my St Paddy’s day meal.
My cooking song was
If I Had A Heart- Fever Ray (it’s the theme song form the TV show Vikings)

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]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/st-paddys-day-irish-stew/feed/020140520-221257-79977005.jpgnickyv2420140520-215905-79145835.jpg20140520-215909-79149948.jpg20140520-215906-79146942.jpg20140520-220318-79398582.jpgEaster Traditionshttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/easter-traditions/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/easter-traditions/#respondTue, 20 May 2014 19:37:44 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=20I sit and listen in silence, following each step as instructed. I know this is a solemn and serious occasion. I glance around at the other tables in the hall; all heads are bowed as we listen to the reading. I wonder how many people know that today is also a day that some Christians celebrate in the form of a Paschal meal. Like the Jewish Passover we reenact the night the Jews left Egypt known as the Exodus.
There are so many festivals and celebrations that occur during the year, one of them being Easter. Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals, but you don’t have to be a devout churchgoer or believer to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. So many people celebrate Easter in less religious ways; much like Christmas. They enjoy the holiday but use it as an excuse to have a family gathering; while there is nothing wrong with this, they miss the fundamental teachings that are part of the Easter celebration.
Jewish communities begin the celebration of their Passover on the same day that some Christians celebrate Paschal meal. The Paschal meal is a Christian practice that follows the Jewish Passover; there is a Seder plate and the gathering symbolically reenacts the last meal that the Jews had before they left Egypt. The Seder consists of a lamb, an egg, bitter herbs, green leaves, wine, haroseth and matzoh. Each is as symbol of the Jews plight from Egypt.
The lamb is a representation of the actual lamb or sheep that were slaughtered as a sacrifice to God. The matzoh is unleavened bread like the bread prepared for the hasty flight from Egypt, there was no time to wait for the dough to rise and that is why it is unleavened. The bitter herbs or maror is usually horseradish and is a reminder of the suffering and slavery the Jews endured while in Egypt, literally the bitterness they felt. The green herb is usually parsley and is dipped in a bowl of salt water before eaten; the salt water represents the tears shed during the exodus from Egypt. The haroseth or haroses is a combination of apple, cinnamon, wine and nuts and symbolises the mortar used in the building of the Pyramids and other great buildings. The wine is shared from a common bowl or bottle as a symbol of unity, four cups of wine are drunk during the meal, this represents the four different words in the Book of Exodus all signifying redemption and liberation. The egg is a representation of new beginnings, hence the celebration taking place in Spring.
If you learnt something completely new from treading that then I’m sure you’re not alone. Many people are unaware of the Christian ‘version’ of the Passover meal and while many know of the Jewish Pesach celebrations they do not the significance or origin of it. It must be questioned whether the loss of tradition should be accepted even as society changes. Many people note the loss of these ancient traditions and celebrations, some non-religious, and wonder if we should accept this.
While we live in this ever changing world that introduces to new things so rapidly, shouldn’t we hold on even tighter to our ancestral traditions as a connection to our past? They feel like heirlooms being passed from one generation to the next, something that you ought to treasure and protect. I enjoy partaking in something that is rooted in such a significant but ancient event. The act of retelling and performing the night of the Jewish exodus from Egypt connects you so intrinsically to those people; even though you are here now and they are long gone, you feel so close to them. It is a unique feeling that I believe can only be created through these ancient traditions. Typing on my iPad does not ever make me think of inventors of the 1800s but rather some futuristic nation of the 3000s. Going to church and participating in religious festivals stirs a strange feeling of religious patriotism I me.
I am relatively new to the celebration of the paschal meal and it makes me wish that I had grown up celebrating it. I went through my childhood unaware of the Catholic celebrations during Holy Week; the week leading up to Easter Sunday. All I knew was that on Easter Sunday Jesus was resurrected and we mourn and celebrate his sacrifice. Many people go around celebrating Easter in this way, but there is so much more to it and it is a very significant time.
So what now? Nothing, you don’t have to do anything. My aim was mostly to educate and emphasize the fact that many of us are unaware of the significance surrounding Easter. It is not a commercial holiday, and that it is deeply rooted in numerous historic events.

My Song:
Tiptoe-Imagine Dragons

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]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/easter-traditions/feed/0nickyv24seder-plate11seasonal-69424_150Being Green as a Human Beinghttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/being-green-as-a-human-being/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/being-green-as-a-human-being/#respondTue, 13 May 2014 10:50:11 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=17
We are 21st century citizens and we live in a modern world filled with technology and machines. There are pockets of truly wild and natural areas but most areas have been built on as part of progress and development. While we live in this world filled with machines, factories and technology we are also constantly made aware of our impact on the earth. Words and phrases such as carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, global warming, carbon emissions, energy efficient, recycle and eco-friendly have become included extensively in everyday conversations and most of us know what they are and what they mean. Many of us do what we can to combat and counter the effects of our lifestyles by doing simple everyday things such as reducing our electricity use and recycling. Living in the 21st century comes with a price; the actual cost of maintaining our current standard of living and lifestyles as well as the less obvious cost which is the toll it takes on the earth and on our health. we have become increasingly concerned about what we consume and try our utmost to buy organic food; we understand that a lot of our food is not as natural as it can be.

There are many ways that we can contribute more positively to the earth while at the same time we can also improve our own lifestyles. one of the age old but increasingly popular ways to do this is to start your own garden. that sounds ominous to some but I assure you it is not as difficult as it may seem. I have recently become interested in gardening and it seems quite a lucrative opportunity to begin a new hobby and develop some useful skills; including some fantastic gardening facts. There are numerous reasons to start a garden; when I say garden I mean a small herb or vegetable garden not a full scale farm; such as providing yourself with your own food source while also reducing your expenditure, adding some life to an empty space, developing a new skill and possibly even creating a little business by selling any extra’s that you may accumulate. Whatever your motivation to begin gardening I encourage you to start and to help you here are some tips.

Before you even buy any kits or tools; which you should; first decide where you want to start your garden. If you are only wanting to grow a few small herb plants you might consider your kitchen windowsill but if you have space outside then you should use it. Small herb and vegetable gardens are ideal for people living in the city where there is minimal garden space. Ensure that your garden area has enough sunlight; most plants need about six hours of sunlight a day so measure approximately how much sun your spot will receive. Remember that the suns position changes between seasons, so maybe have a backup spot for different seasons. Now that you have your spot you need to do some shopping for tools. Some basic and essential items you will need are tools; a garden trowel, potting scoop, hand hoe, hand fork and watering can. You can make your own watering can from an old detergent or milk jug by stabbing holes in the lid. you can also make your own shovel/towel by cutting up the jug on the side of the handle so that it has a triangular shape.

You will also need pots for your plants or you can reuse old jars or cans, coffee or paint cans work best in terms of size, as plant holders. One of the most important things you need to get is potting soil; make sure it says potting soil because it is used specially in containers. Now you can decide what you would like to start growing. Doing some research on plants that are best to grow at home is a good idea; ask at hardware stores or gardening stores. Many people recommend beginning with Basil because it is very easy to tell when the plant is undernourished; it has a wilted look. This makes it easy to judge and learn the best way to look after a plant. It is best to but your new plants as seedlings and not seeds, unless you want to start form the very beginning, because it is easier to grow them from a seedling.

A good way of starting off your seedling in a lemon peel; or other citrus peel; or in an eggshell, and you can use the egg carton as holders; because they provide a biodegradable container. You can put the seedling straight into the soil with the peel or shell because they will decompose as well as provide rich nutrients for the soil. This is another great way of reusing and recycling instead of buying and dumping products. Another good source of nutrients are coffee grounds; they enrich the soil and also repel some pests. Plants need nutrient rich soil, lots of sunshine and water, be sure to water plants often but don’t drown them. When deciding on a plant holder make sure that it has good drainage; for example if you use a paint can pierce some hole as the bottom to allow some drainage, also put a coffee filter in to keep the soil from draining too.

So there are some good tips for starting your little garden. You can make it a project for yourself to see how many different types of herbs you can grow.

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]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/being-green-as-a-human-being/feed/0nickyv24herbsSome Dominican Chickenhttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/some-dominican-chicken/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/some-dominican-chicken/#respondWed, 23 Apr 2014 08:22:29 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=15So this was my first meal that I cooked. I was excited and a little nervous, I mean my family had to actually eat the food I was cooking…a scary thought. Is this what chefs think in the kitchen or are they just so fabulously brilliant that they don’t even think about someone not liking their food? Anyway there I was. I net my mom to buy my ingredients, for some reason I need some time for mental preparation. These are the ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken legs
1 cup sofrito (I will explain)
1 tsp sugar
vegetable oil (1-2 Tbsp)
juice of 1/2 lemon (a whole lemon if it is dry)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup stock or water

So my mom returned with my ingredients and I was ready to start. I read the recipe. Here’s a tip read the recipe more than once before you start- I always forget to and I end forgetting a step or something. Reading it a few times makes it more familiar and easier to remember.

So I started with the sofrito. A sofrito is like a vegetable marinade and it’s delicious. There are a few different versions but I just used Sasha Martins. You need:
1 green pepper, cut in large chunks
1 red pepper, cut in large chunks
1 red onion, cut in large chunks
3 green onions, sliced
2 tomatillo, quartered
2 roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (cilantro is Coriander)
1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, quartered
salt and pepper (optional)
Basically you just chop up all the veg and blend it, I hit lots of help for. My mom cutting up all those veggies. Then add the parsley and cilantro. It smells amazing….I also added Pomi Pomito tomato chunks. The marinade was quite liquid like but looked great.

After you’ve made your sofrito you add the raw chicken and let in marinate for 30 minutes. While that is happening you can mix the stick and tomato paste, looks super weird. When the chicken is ready to be cooked put some brown sugar in a heated pan and brown the chicken. This makes the chicken taste amazing- all I thought was where has this been all my life. Add the sofrito and stock concoction and cook for an hour.

I decided to make cous-cous instead of rice because it’s much healthier and more delicious. Although cous- cous is not dominican I decided to make it because my family and I love it. It’s really easy to make you just add hot water. If you want to add some more flavor you can add onions and some veg. We like to add peas, corn, roasted butternut and sometimes feta. I could eat that for days.

So there done and dusted, I had made my first meal. My family really enjoyed it. I only ate some the next day, I think out of some sort of fear. Is this a common thing that happens to people? Is it weird? Anyway I really enjoyed it, and it’s making me hungry just writing about it. So until next time…enjoy cooking.
Oh and please remember to like triple check your ingredients list and shopping list because a green onion is not the same as a green pepper.
My song:
No Cars Go- Arcade Fire

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]]>https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/some-dominican-chicken/feed/0nickyv2420140423-093911.jpg20140423-102137.jpgIntroducinghttps://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/introducing/
https://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/introducing/#respondWed, 26 Mar 2014 13:20:28 +0000http://edibleescapadesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3I think it should be noted that I have never had a blog and for that reason I ask patience and assistance, so please bear with me as I learn through experience. Now that that’s out of the way hello, welcome to my blog I hope you find it informative but mostly fun and relatable. This blog is mostly for those who are looking for some cooking excitement and some new flavours. As the name suggests this blog is about food, yum! I have decided to start a blog that will teach me, and maybe others, something new. I was inspired by the story of Julie Powell, the woman the movie Julie & Julia is based on. Basically Julie Powel decided to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days. My idea is far less radical and much easier to do. Once a week I will cook a dish from a different country, something I’ve never cooked before, and report to you the entire experience; i.e. the obtaining of ingredients, the actual cooking and all its obstacles, and the best part the eating. The idea is to improve my cooking skills, the few that I have, and to expose myself to some new palate reforming tastes; this depends on my cooking talents because there is a strong possibility of me cooking tasteless food (fingers crossed). Seeing as food is one of the most amazing things in the world, I mean I love food, I thought why not… start a food/cooking blog. So many people love eating food but few know how to cook it, myself definitely included. Something extra I decided to do is to find out the health benefits of some of the ingredients I will be using in each dish, because eating healthy is becoming more important and more popular, like the Energade slogan “It’s what you put in” so let’s be conscious of what we’re eating. I will include a song in each post so you know what kept me going while I was cooking. I hope you’ll stay with me in this journey of culinary exposure and some musical endeavors. The first dish I will be making is…stay tuned to find out more. Just kidding this isn’t a TV show, I decided to start in the Caribbean because summer is ending-has ended- here and some equatorial and tropic food seems like a good wistful note to begin on. I will attempt to make Dominican style stewed chicken or Pollo Guisado estilo Dominicano (not sure how to say that correctly). Photos will be included, wish me luck!